Baltus Hafez
by E.M.Bryant97
Summary: We all know that Hafez was Imhoteps henchmen, but how did he come in contact with Meela and Lock- Nah? When he gets cought up in all the madness, Hafez finds his world turned upside down. I own nothing. Chapter 5 is up!
1. Chapter 1

I've been working here for about five years, and have been the official curator for about two. I like history in all, but working at a museum was never one of my career choices as a kid. Spending most of my teenage years at the local pub, mummies and Romans were put at the back of my mind. But I do like it here. Things are usually quiet and peaceful throughout the museum, just the hustle and bustle of the visitors wandering around pointlessly, looking trouble. Occasionally though, you do get the weirdoes. Like one time, when I found a little kid trapped in the ancient Chinese exhibit, and two of my employees had to drag him out before he caused any unwanted publicity.

Or when I came to work finding rather insulting words sprayed amongst the walls. It wasn't hard to track down those buffoons though, for one of them actually dropped his cell phone along with a couple of empty bottles while leaving the building.

I smile to myself. Everyone enjoys those stories from time to time. But it's another day, another chance for people to come from all over to see civilizations long extinct to the modern world.

Another day of countless hours and crummy pay.

I stand in my office, overlooking the papers of a potential employee. The stacks have gotten shorter and shorter, I'm afraid.

There's a light knock at my door. I look up from my readings to see that it is one of my Egyptian artifacts workers. "Ah, Evelyn." I smile, gesturing for her to come into the large room. She smiles back and kindly shakes my hand; the way she always does when greeting me.

"You wanted to see me Hafez?" she says with the smile still on her face. Evelyn sits on one of my three leather chairs and I follow on the one across from her.

"You see Evelyn, there's a job offering for manager of the Egyptian wing, and..." I see her face light up with wonder. "And I think you would be the perfect woman for the job."

She looks like she was about to jump out of her chair and hug me. I hoped she didn't. But she retains her composure and looks at me for a second, not saying anything.

"Thank you!" she cries, shaking my hand once again. I smile back and shoo her out of my room.

Though a tad too cheery for my liking, Evelyn is one of my favorite employees here. At first, the thought of having a young woman work here troubled me. But don't let the looks fool you. Her love for history beats out all the others working here.

They work for money. She works for passion.

I sigh at my thoughts. _One day,_ I think, _she'll be as good as me._

* * *

><p>By the time the sun begins to set, I am aching to leave. My head hurts and if one more person nagged me about how crappy their lives are, I am going to scream. I smile as the right hand of the clock hits directly over the six. All the employees scramble out of the museum like it was on fire for goodness sake. I didn't blame them.<p>

In the last minute, my museum went from full of life to abandoned and dead. I gather my things and turn to shut off the lights. But, before I do, something catches my eye. Yes, in the dark shadows of one of the exhibits, I could've sworn I saw something move. I grab a nearby torch, unlit, of course, and proceed closer to the suspected target. "Who's there?" I try to make my voice intimidating, but that's mighty hard for someone as old as I. When nobody answered, I lowered my weapon and roll my eyes. I turn around, and almost jump out of my skin at the sight. A woman, wearing a black Egyptian outfit, stood there, a wry smile creeping up on her almost cat- like face, eyes piercing right at me. There is something strange about her eyes, though. They're black, almost unreal. I take a step back, raising the torch once again. Seeing this gesture, the woman let's out a dry laugh. She proceeds towards me with that wicked smile of hers. "The museums closed." I say. Her smile deepens into something almost wicked. I had a feeling she knew that already, and such a petty response like that wasn't going to stop her.

"I need something from you, Hafez." her strong Egyptian tone is almost hypnotic to my ears. I opened my mouth for a response, but it has run dry. She continued, "Would you mind answering a few questions?" but she didn't need an answer from me. She just looked into my eyes, sensing my fears and protests.

"And if you choose not to obey..." her feline like face striking a hiss. As on cue, a fury of red robes and silver swords filled my view, and before I knew what was happening, a knife was bearing at my throat and a huge black man was in front of me with the eyes of a killer. Eyes that would slice you in half just by its glare.

I swallowed hard. The woman then yelled something in Egyptian to the savage black man, making him retract back by her side and not seconds away from impaling me with that sword.

She gives me a mock grin. "How about those questions, Mr. Hafez?" I sink down in my leather seat, the woman and black man hovering around me like ghosts. The woman finally lets in a sharp breath and looks at me with that revengeful glare. I bore myself for the first question.

"Do you know Evelyn O'Connell?"

I see a flash of hate running through her eyes when she said that name. I was completely caught of guard. Evy (though I refused to call her that no matter how many times she protested) O'Connell? My employee? Why, that girl wouldn't hurt a fly... Would she?

"She is one of my employees, why would you ask?" I say in confusion. I immediately regret saying this, because the black man is starting to grind his teeth in desire to kill me.

A smile pulls at her tight lips. "She is one of my... Old friends, you might say."

I seriously doubted that, but didn't say anything. "Has she done anything wrong?"

Her body tenses as she proceeds closer to me.

"She and that American bastard killed my love Imhotep ten years ago. For this she will pay." she growls.

Then, as if that didn't happen, she reverts back to her devilish smile. "We need you to help us find Hamanamptra; to read from the book and bring my love to life once again."

I take a long, hard look at her. Who does she think she is, barging into my museum and demanding I raise a mummy from the dead? But; there was something about her, something almost... Intoxicating.

"And what if I refuse?"

That question was short lived. One glance from the black man that almost cut me to pieces shut me up immediately. The woman gives me one of her smiles again. "Think about it... Hafez. You would be the leader of thousands. Thousands; right at your fingertips."

The woman had a point there.

I nod my head slowly to show my agreement. "Wonderful," her eyes are at a faraway gaze. "We will discuss this further in the morning. In the meantime, get Evelyn to tell you where exactly the book of the dead is hidden,"

"You mean you don't know where the book is?" I say, confused. What a long day it has been. Once again, the woman's eyes flare dangerously. "Without that book our plan will not work!"

I regret saying that. "Do not worry. The book will be yours shortly."

With a smile, the woman gets up to leave, followed by the man. I watch their shadows until they disappear into the darkness.

I sit there, alone, in the dark, a newfound strength coursing through my veins.


	2. Chapter 2

I arrive to work five minutes late.

After the conversation and the sleepless night, I'm surprised that I am here at all. I enter my office with thoughts scrambled up like the inside of a blender. I reach for the stack of papers on my desk as I sit down. I try to read the words, but they twisted and turned on the page. I can't think straight anymore. It feels as though somebody else's thoughts invaded my brain, controlling me to their desire. I still remember what she had told me: "You'll be a leader... Thousands at your fingertips..."

All my life I've always been the third wheel. Never has someone asked me what I wanted to do. This was my chance, to be a leader. Even if it involves killing the only person that's ever been kind to me.

I thrust these thoughts from my head. This single thought is the one that's been bothering the hell out of me. What has it about her, that made her so different from every other girl that has worked here. Now I am perfectly aware that she is indeed married (I see her son here almost every day) and I am not saying I like her that way, but I've always admired the way she is always nice and kind to everyone.

_Stop that!_ I tell myself. If I continue this I'll be mad by sundown. I slam the papers back on the desk and pull myself up from my chair. My one oasis in this museum has turned into a forest full of thorns and predators. Heading for the door, my heart almost stops when I am greeted once again from my new manager of Egyptian artifacts.

"Why hello Mr Hafez!" Evelyn smiles at me upon exiting the left corridor. I freeze in my place, trying to keep a natural look on my face. I hesitantly lift up a hand, the one that was steadier than the other, as she shook it with her own, and just as always, with that youthful energy she possesses within her. I almost cringe at her touch, for something in the feel of her skin hits me like a zap of energy. All those questions begin reeling in my insides again.

I am going to kill this woman. Murder, even.

The woman with the smile, the smile that has welcomed me for countless years; trust, never lies; kindness, sweetness, and something genuinely proper. And that lady is going to kill her.

"Is- something wrong?" her voice has that motherly tone to it.

"I'm quite alright." I say, moving past her.

"Are you sure? You look rather pale-"

"I said I was fine." My voice drops dangerously low. Evelyn looks surprised for a moment, and the two of us just stand there, overwhelmed by the words that still hung around us. Evelyn then blinks, taking a moment to smooth out het skirt before walking off without another word.

* * *

><p>My mind settles down for the rest of the day. Still, the look on Evelyn's face haunted me. It was something I've never seen before. The rest of my day as a curator actually turned out to be quite normal. I got some work done, went here and there, cleaned, reorganized, all that stuff.<p>

By the time work was over with, I almost forget about what Meela said. I open the door and am ready to close it when I see Evelyn walking down the sidewalk to her house. It wasn't far.

I remember everything that happened the previous night, and knew if I didn't have the information from Evelyn, Meela's friendly little bodyguard would have me dead in to time flat. This thought frightens me.

So I go after her, and finally come to a halt next to her. These bones aren't made for running. She looks over at me in surprise and gives a light trademark smile. "I didn't know you lived out this way, Hafez."

I shake my head. "I don't. I just wanted to talk to you for a bit." I tried to make my voice sound better than before. "And," I've never been good at apologies. "To apologize for my behavior earlier today. I just been a little off set today, I guess."

Evelyn shakes her head slowly, still smiling. "Honestly, Hafez. If that's what your worried about..."

Things are quiet between us for a moment, which I'm glad for. The air is beginning to shift into its cold, musty nighttime kind of air. Whenever it did this in the past, it was followed by a week or two of rain. Oh joy.

I begin to miss Egypt. The year round beating of the sun, the pleasant feeling of sand catching in your hair, everything. I look over at Evelyn, who has a glazed expression on her eyes as well. She must be missing egypt too.

The London sun is drowning beneath the hills, taking its light away, along with its warmth. I watch as street lamps switch on, one by one.

I know my time is running out.

"Can I ask you something, Evelyn?" I finally muster my courage enough to say. She turns to look at me and almost laughs.

"Hafez. You're my boss. Ask me anything."

I use my words with caution. "Are all the tales of you in Hamanamptra true? That you and O'Connell really defeated Imhotep himself?"

Evelyn has a look of surprise in her eyes, though it goes away after a moments pass. "I never thought those tales could get around so fast." -I see her bite down on her lower lip- "what to you want to know?"

I smile. A reassuring smile, though my thoughts told me otherwise. "Just from a Curators mind, what happened in Hamanamptra? I mean, how is it that Imhotep knew the Book of the Dead would bring back his love?" I pace my words so each syllable bounces off the frost in the air. She gives me another smile, but something makes this smile different from the others. She has a sparkle in her eye, something that sparks her inner remembrance of what really happened ten years ago. All the memories; the adventures, found romance, bone chilling freight, the sound of guns cracking in the night, every bullet meant for your death. Good lord, no wonder she smiles so much.

"Well," Evelyn begins, clearing her throat with dignified air, "the whole story starts over three thousand years ago. You know, the story of Anuck- Suna Moon's betrayal of Pharaoh Seti I. Imhotep's plan was to take his love far away from the Upper Kingdom, so that they could be together as they would plan utter destruction to the Pharaoh's people. But after she killed herself, Imhotep's plan changed. He sought after the Book of the Dead to raise her from the underworld. In this time period, though, the Book of the Dead's power wasn't known to be true. Just myths spread over the ancient land. But Imhotep's love was so strong for Anuck- Suna Moon that he'd try anything to get her back. So he broke into her crypt, and brought her body to Hamanamptra, the most sacred city in Egypt at the time. He dared the power of Anubis by reading the book out loud deep in his tomb. The incantations-" she stops abruptly, probably realizing that she had been in complete librarian mode without even noticing. With slightly reddened cheeks, she sighs to herself, making a mental note to keep the stories short and concise in the future. "Am I even answering your question Hafez?"

I smile. "Of course, evelyn." She has not only told me what I needed to know, but unknowingly, so much more. _Just one more question, _I say to myself. "Just, well; what happened to the Book of the Dead? A book of such importance should be kept in good hands."

I laugh to myself. I wouldn't quite consider a vengeful reincarnation and a violent black man being the people you trust with an ancient artifact like the Book of the Dead, much less the Book of the Living.

"Oh," Evelyn lets out a sigh, her eyes taken back in memory. "It was left behind you see, buried in Hamanamptra with the Book of the Living. Thanks to my dear, sweet older brother." I almost hear revenge ringing in her tone.  
>Maybe this is the woman who ticked off Meela so badly.<br>Maybe.

With tired and accomplished hands, I give my employee one last vigorous handshake before I leave her on the rest of her walk home. The moon is shining its bright half, reflecting through a puddle marked on the cobblestone road. Its one side is so bright, so pure with radiance. But what about the darker half? Did it have brightness once? I wonder if it had a say on being put in the back, neglected from ones wandering eye; or just put there, by the choice of fate. _Whatever fate has in store for me,_ my mind thinks, _it better have something more rewarding than the blank side of the moon._


	3. Chapter 3

The cold eyes once again bore into me. The same eyes that shone through the night I was first encountered the mysterious Egyptian woman and her fierce bodyguard.

"Did you acquire what I asked?"

Her voice was shrill, less cunning than I remembered it to be. Besides being tired, my body has taken a turn for the worse. Food just isn't as delectable as it used to be. Everything hurts. I look up at her with sullen eyes, nodding slightly. She smiles. I inwardly laugh to myself. This woman may be getting what she asked for, but she will never know Evelyn the way I do. I'm just glad I have those memories if anything happens. _Maybe the dark side of the moon isn't so bad,_ I say to myself.

"What more do we have to do?" I sigh, leaning back in my leather chair. It's becoming less comfortable now that I have to deal with the stress and discomfort of Meela's annoying bodyguard hanging around my office all the time. I don't even bother asking why she has him lurking beside her every step she takes.

Instead of the cold flash of hate I usually get from her after a question like that, I get nothing. Absolutely nothing. Perhaps I'm not the only one about to double over in exhaustion.

She turns towards the black man, who is sitting by the windowsill moving his sword back and forth, and motions for him to join us. "Do you have the cult ready for use?"

"Cult?" the word escapes my lips without me even knowing. Meela smiles. "Didn't I tell you that you would be the leader of thousands?"

Thousands. It pulsed through my body and kept repeating through my mind. Lock- Nah steals a hard glance towards me before nodding at her question. Seeing this, Meela stands up, walking over to the window. "My dear Hafez, your army awaits." her melodic snake- like charm pulls me in like a rope. She grabs each side of the curtains, ripping them from their place covering the windowpane. A fine layer of dust clouds the new light flooding in. I stand up, joining her by my back window. My eyes widen. All I can see on either side of the museums front yard is a sea of red. Men lined up in a never-ending flow of red turbans and robes. In just a seconds worth of sight, I see everything that I needed for a lifetime. No more settling for second best. No more late office work hours, just to get enough money to keep up with my apartment. And most of all, no more working in this hellish prison of a museum.

All this washes over me, making me forget any of the objections I had running through my head.

Instead of Baltus Hafez, the old curator at the museum, I am something new. I am Baltus Hafez, leader of the cult, leader of thousands.

* * *

><p>"The red was my idea." Meela grins a bit to herself, "I thought it would go well with the whole 'taking over the world' thing."<p>

I just shake my head. "I don't know how you do it... What was your name again?" I say with growing hesitant. He just turns his head slowly, his eyes hard and cold.

"Lock- Nah," he says, his tone surprisingly expressionless. I swallow hard.

I know I'd remember that for the rest of my life.

Lock- Nah then opens the window in one stiff movement, sticking his head out the window, making the entire army look up to face him. "Army!" he says with a strict commander's voice. I wonder where he came from. Everyone below immediately looked a hundred times more attentive. "This is Baltus Hafez!" he moves only slightly for a space to stick my head. If it wasn't for the huge intimidating black man shouting orders at him, I probably wouldn't have their absolute attention. "You will obey him!" his voice dropped to an icy chill. It threatened a punishment worse than death if crossed.

Then, to my surprise, he backed away, leaving the window open for my use and my use only. I swallow hard. They're all looking at me; my mind sends the quaking message to every nerve in my body. But fear must not be shown. Not now, not here.

"We have found the location of the Book of the Dead!" my voice wants to falter, but my mind won't allow it to. It's a strong voice, I hope. Perhaps even a tad intimidating like Lock- Nah's. That's what is most important right now. Making sure I stay up at the top. Giving orders is always better than receiving them. "Now all that needs to be done is retrieving the book, along with the book of the living. We need to organize different means of transportation to Egypt immediately to find the great Imhotep himself. Then, we'll have the O'Connell's, and the world, right in our hands."

Vigorous cheers filled the air. I think they were triggered by the dangerous glance Lock- Nah gave them when I wasn't looking. Meela then stuck her face out the window and shooed them away by waving her arms. "There are airplanes waiting for you in the far side of the airport." When none of them moved, Lock- Nah pulled out a pistol and pointed it up before shooting until the bullets ran out. Everything was silent before the last sound cracked into the sky.

* * *

><p>The last bit of blue hanging in the west had long since been swallowed up by the pure black sky by the time Evelyn O'Connell arrived home.<p>

"Mum!" came a small British voice from the hallway. Evelyn gave a relieved sigh as Alex bounded up into her arms.

"Who were you talking to out there?" Rick said with concern, putting down the newspaper he was reading to meet her and his son by the doorway. She finally got herself from her son's skinny arms, and gave Rick a warming smile. "It's okay, Rick. It was just my boss. He wanted to talk to me, that's all." Rick wanted to stay mad at her, but the look on his wife's face made him melt on the spot. Seeing his father's reaction, Alex knew it was time to leave and go back to playing before it was too late. He scrambled out of the foyer and back into the living room.

"I was so worried about you," Rick said, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Evy raised an eyebrow. "Well I'm fine now, safe at home." her voice dropped to a whisper as he pressed his lips against hers. He was just so glad she was home, with him. He was always worried when she came home after dark. But this time, for some reason, he was particularly worried when he saw her walking down the sidewalk with her creepy boss. He never really liked him that much. And adding the fact that Alex went over to the museum almost every day, he was pretty unsure of him.

"What were you talking to him about?" Rick was reluctant to stop kissing her, but the question was running through his mind and it was beginning to annoy him. Evy stepped back a bit and gave him a small smile.

"Why?" she put a hand on his shoulder, "are you jealous much?"

Rick's mouth dropped open slightly. "Jealous?" he echoed with sarcasm. "Of a weird old guy who works at a museum? Evy, you got to be kidding me." She just rolled her eyes and kissed him again.

"He just was curious about Hamanamptra, that's all,"

This just made Rick's unsure feeling flare up inside of him. The same feeling he got when he saw their commander ride off into the deserted city when he was in the Legion. When he let the love of his life leave with a three thousand year old mummy. As he recapped these events, he knew that this feeling meant trouble.

"You don't look good." Evelyn said, seeing the faraway gaze reflecting from his blue eyes.

He shook the look from his face, and smiled at her. "I'm just glad you're home." Rick pulled her close to his chest, enclosing his arms around her back. It was this sense of closeness, where he could feel the beat of her heart through his clothes, and warm skin melted everything around them. Soon his troubles were washed away, replaced by her sweet smell and bright eyes.

Alex ran across the hall, backing up slowly when he saw his parents hugging by the doorway. "Dad! Mum! It's been ten minutes already!" he pouted, folding his arms across his chest. Rick smiled, and reluctantly let her go. "Alright. How 'bout we play a game. All three of us."

Alex grinned, and ran to his room to pick one out. Rick started for the kitchen, but stopped when he realized Evy wasn't following behind him. "You coming?" Instead of an answer though, she crossed the room and sat down on the windowsill. Rick sighed, and went over to sit down next to her. "What are you staring at?" He always found amusement in his wife's ability to become mesmerized by every little thing. She let out a happy sigh and glanced over at him quickly.

"The moon," she whispered, resting her head on the cool glass window. "It's so pretty tonight."


	4. Chapter 4

The tattered pages made my hands feel dry and irritated. I look at the words, hoping they would reveal something more exciting than the fifty previous books. And the smell these things gave off? Sometimes I wish I don't work at a museum and be one of those rich lawyers that are growing greater in popularity these days.

_Then I wouldn't be caught up in all this mess!_

Annoyed, I close the book with a sharp snap, escaping a thin cloud of dust that eventually collected on the desk in front of me. I reluctantly dropped the book I was reading on top of the useless pile of books, letting about a sigh in hope to relieve my stress. It didn't work. Seconds later, I glance over at the not useless pile to see that it was still vacant of even one single book. The last thing I want to do right now is pick up another one. But then I remember what Lock- Nah hadn't hesitated to tell me about throwing me into a dark cave and leaving me there to rot if I didn't find a book on the egyptian new year by tomorrow. This thought made my hands instantly reach for the next available shelf. It was one of the oldest books we had to offer here at the museum, for I could still see the worn stamp from when we first got the building. It was a faded green color, with a picture I couldn't quite make sense of. I open it, revealing the familiar smell of dust and worn papers, showing me the years this book must've gone through. But something surprises me. Even the ink is beginning to wear over time.

From what I can make out, the book it titled _Ancient_ _Legends of the Old Kingdom._ Nothing I haven't seen thousands of times before today. I turn the pages slowly, quickly using my exhausted eyes to skim the context. I don't find anything significant about this one. I was about to toss it aside where the other books lay when i stumbled on upon a word on the third page. A certain evil, it read, can be found deep within the tombs of the ancient land, an evil beyond all the others. The Scorpion King, once known as Mathyus, has a power unlike any other, one that has destroyed millions in its previous use. Using a rare and priceless artifact, the bracelet of Anubis, one could find the golden pyramid hidden deep in the Oasis of Ahm- Shere, and kill the great creature, immediately obtaining his fierce army for his/her desire.

I close the book, my insides preforming an uncomfortable flip. _This is what Meela and Lock- Nah are after! This whole time, their ultimate goal was to overtake the Scorpion King and gain control of his army!_ And, of course, the only person strong and able enough for that task was Imhotep. All thats needed to be done is finding Imhotep's grave and have him in charge of ruling the earth.

Smiling to myself, I gingerly take the worn, green book and put it in its rightful place; alone in the "not useless" pile.

* * *

><p>One might underestimate the secrets and legends of Egypt if not for the ancient tribe of the Medjai. In a place where barren sand and blistering heat dictates the land, a civilization thrives. One made up of fearless leaders, commanders, rabbi, all connected by one goal. To keep the monsters of Egypt safe. Locked away from the modern world. These were the Medjai.<p>

Tribes spotted among the sand dunes. But one tribe, central to all the others, is where a certain message boy got the word of evil spreading through the northern land.

The sun had just peaked above the highest sand dune that enveloped the tribe. Ardeth Bay, being the commander of the tribe, was the first one to open his tent to let in the welcoming sunlight into his little home. The day was beautiful, as were most mornings here in the depths of the Sahara desert. The air that hinted the linger of the nightly chill was now chasing through his veins, making his strength soar through the innermost part of his body. Dressed in his usual garb, Ardeth strode out of his tent; careful not to wake the others. Usually on days like this, he would fetch the water from the well before reassembling the troops for training. But today was the sabbath day; the day for resting and pondering. Ardeth liked these days. It gave him the chance to be in tune with the gods, to know them, understand them, and try to be more like them. He was appointed to the calling of high commander about four years ago, and he still found every week a challenge to his moral strength.

Training began with the first presence of light, and ended just before the women prepared the afternoon supper. It was hard work physically, of course, but Ardeth loved it. His true calling, his father had told him.

With feet lightly treading the untouched sand like the first falling of snow, Ardeth found his way to the tiny well that sat on the border of the tribe, made from collected stones from beneath the Nile. He pulled the wood splitting bucket up from inside the well with quick anticipation. Using the ladle put carefully upon its resting place beside the hole, he scooped a mouthful of water and slowly rose it to his lips, hungry for the cool clear water to banish the cracked mouth and dry throat.

"Ardeth Bay," called a female voice from one of the tents, "you have one day to yourself and you choose not to sleep in?"

Startled, Ardeth almost dropped the ladle back into the bucket. He turned around to see one of the younger women, Elisa, standing in front of her tent with hands on her hips in a scolding stance.

"I should say the same to you, Elisa." he nearly smiled, wiping his mouth.

She rolled her eyes and walked over towards him. "Honestly, if there wasn't women here in the village to keep you men in tact-"

"If there weren't men to feed and protect the women, now that would be an issue." He teased.

"Ardeth Bay!" she said a bit too loudly, trying to hide the grin on her face. She leaned forward and tried grabbing the ladle in his hands. But Ardeth was quicker. He pulled his hand away in the nick of time. Unfortunately, Elisa leaned too far forward, sending the bucket, and herself, down onto the sand on top of the commander. All the screams and sloshes resulted in both Elisa and Ardeth, soaking wet, lying sprawled atop of the sand. Ardeth stood up slowly, putting forth a hand towards the distraught girl. She took it reluctantly, her eyes furrowed in mock anger. Her frown evolved into a smile, however; once she saw the joyous look on the Medjai's face. "Like I said," as she locked eyes with Ardeth. "Men would be nothing without us women. At least we treat our men with respect." she teased.

He just raised an eyebrow. "I have to say, your reflex skills are one to be proud of. Perhaps the Medjai could be in need of your talent."

The two were talking and smiling like schoolchildren, unaware that another tent had been opened during their well mishap. A man in thick black robes made his way towards the pair, surprised to see his high commander first of all, wet, secondly, making such noise on the holy day of rest.

"Ardeth, hopefully you have a good explanation for being covered in water." he called over to him, not able to hide the smile on her face. Ardeth looked up at his leader, jumping a bit in his robes.

"Oh, sir! I was just.. Helping Elisa here with... With-"

"Clearly." He brushed the topic away, deciding to save it for another day. "But now's not the time for this nonsense. You and I have far more important business to cover." His voice was clear that he didn't want to push the subject any harder. Ardeth gave a tight nod to Elise, trying to suppress his smile, and walked briskly towards the tent his commander had entered just moments before.

Ardeth could tell something was wrong from the minute he came through the thin barrier of his makeshift home. The candles were lit, but their flame was but stiff and somber glow to the wandering shadows. He was offered the tiny sheet covering the darkened coals that were usually hot embers. He took it graciously. The commander sat down across from him, so both sets of hard eyes were facing each other directly. He was the first to speak. "I received a letter from our spy early last night." his voice was surprisingly hesitant, considering his status in the tribe. But Ardeth continued to sit up with his back still; absorbing everything like it was spoken from God himself. "He speaks of evil. He says that there is one, great in wickedness, who is organizing an army; one that could very well bring the cursed Creature back from where your American friend last conquered it," the thought of that horrid creature returning made Ardeth's skin crawl.

The commander continued. "Our spy was ordered by the northern tribe to get deeper into the situation by joining the cult, and he accepted it. But that was three weeks ago. He was supposed to return to our tribe four days ago." His face fell. So did Ardeth's. After a long period of respective silence, Ardeth finally spoke. "Sir, do you believe what was said? Can one truly bring The Creature back from his grave?"

The commander's face hardened, and looked at him without expression. "This isn't just The Creature. This; this is something else. My friend, is the Scorpion King."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I probably should've started with this, but for saftey reasons, let's clarify that I do not own any of the characters here. Stephen Sommers created the character Hafez, so blame him for making him such a weird and creepy guy.

Hope you enjoy!

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><p>Though the tent was still darkened with shadows, the commander could see Ardeth's shocked expression. "The Scorpion King?" he repeated in utter disbelief.<p>

The man across from him nodded.

Ardeth had heard these tales before. Stories and fables of how the great warrior Mathyus of Thebes, battling and conquering; and most importantly, his famous bet with Anubis himself. It was this action, that one act of doing, that served as a warning to all the Medjai, to never let power conquer the heart. But could this legend lead to something more than a lesson learned?

"But sir, even if this New Year belongs to the scorpion, no army could be able to kill him without-"

"Imhotep?" the commander answered for him, turning his head slightly. "Being my head leader of our army Ardeth, I would think you would know by now,"

And he did. Now that everything was into place, Ardeth knew exactly what was going to happen. An army was rising; one that searches for a leader of immortal terror, and one that would stop at nothing to feel the greed of win seize their hearts.

"They're looking for the Bracelet of Anubis, aren't they commander?"

His voice dropped dangerously low as if afraid the gods themselves would hear. The commander's eyes sparked with a newfound flame before he drew his breath for answer.

"That's precisely what they're going to do. And if we're going to triumph over this evil, we need someone on the other side. Someone to gather information, and to serve as our spy for the time being. Someone brave, strong, virtuous, willing to do anything to serve his God."

"Well, sir, Josiah is certainly the best in my training session by far-"

"I was talking about _you_, Ardeth," he almost smirked through the gloom. Ardeth stared at him with disbelief.

"Me, sir?"

No reply was needed. The warrior was shocked. All those long, sleepless nights traveling through the desert, days filled with hunger and dizziness, fighting though all odds were strictly against you, all for this moment.

He nodded quickly and bowed, leaving the tent for the intense heat of the now high noon. The camp that was once deserted was now buzzing with life. Men, woman, old and young were going about every which way to prepare for the afternoon supper. Some of the younger children played with the dogs outskirting the tribe while the older ones stayed inside deep in their bible study. Ardeth made his way to his tent, once again laying himself down on his bedroll in thought.

The commander chose him.

_Him,_ out of everyone else this community had to offer.

His eyes closed with one thought still lingering in his mind:

This evil involved Egypt and another immortal monster.

O'Connell better watch himself.

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><p>I didn't know how easy it was being the bad guy. And now that I'm accustomed to it, life for me will never be the same. No more grudging through life like I didn't belong or struggling to meet the next deadline for the new museum exhibit. This was my life now, and I wasn't about to give that up.<p>

"We have gone far on our journey for power," Meela's voice especially sounded tried and annoyed this wet and cold Sunday morning. "But I'm afraid one more thing is still needed before we can resurrect Imhotep from his resting place in Hamanamptra." -Clearing her throat- "we need the Bracelet of Anubis to show us the way."

I was slightly taken aback by this statement. _How did she know about the Scorpion King?_ I have yet to tell her about the book. I gave her a quizzical stare. "How did you learn all that? The Scorpion King has been concealed for thousands of years! No trace of him has ever been found before by the modern world!"

Meela looked uncertain for a moment. "I- don't know, really. I've been having dreams about it for a while now." Then, she shook the weary from her face, returning the fiery eyes and mouth set in a firm line across her face. "We have no time to search for the bracelet ourselves. We need someone to find where it is located and take it before the O'Connell's can get their hands on it."

I smile a bit.

"You seem intimidated by them, Meela. What makes you so confident that they're even going to be involved in our plans?"

Her anger burst immediately as she became stiff, her mouth almost bearing teeth like a wild animals'. "They killed him once Hafez!" She hissed, "He is supposed to be immortal, don't you see? I went through hell waiting for him to bring me back into his arms, and they _murdered_ him!"

"Like the both of you murdered Pharaoh?" I shot back. Surprised at my own sudden wrath, I shut my mouth, leaning back in my chair without a sound. Meela's cold stare sent jerks up my spine, feeling their intensity. I knew she was mad. But instead of the usual threats and taunts from Lock- Nah after a blow up like this, she stands up, heading for the back door with nothing left to say. As quiet as a jungle cat, she slips out of the room, leaving to trace of her existence in this poor, shabby museum of mine.

I waited for Lock- Nah to get up and follow her, but instead, he turns to me and lowers his voice. "I have just the people for the job."

I even recall his lips turning into something very close to a genuine smile. I honestly didn't think a guy like Lock- Nah even knows the concept of a smile.

But it was close enough for me.

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><p>I don't know if I can say Lock- Nah is the most trustworthy man on the block, but he he's proved himself a leader, and that's basically all I have to go by. And well... He scares me a bit. If letting him pick the perfect bastards for the job made him a happy man, then so be it. Plus, when it comes to picking out raiders and thugs, Lock- Nah knows what he's talking about.<p>

But when I enter a room expecting to find a few of the world's toughest men and see three lanky men squabbling over who gets to kill who, I get a little worried.

"Jacques! You told me that I could be the one kills the O'Connell's!" The skinny one shot towards the guy, presumably Jacques.

"Oh just shut up Spivey!" The third man growled, pointing a gun at his face. Spivey just held up his hands in a defensive motion.

"Right. Well, Jack and I will find the bracelet then."

Red cocked his gun back and stuffed them in his holsters. I thought the whole conflict was finally over with, but then Spivey opened his big mouth once again. "So after we find this bracelet thing- then can we kill someone?"

"Spivey," Jacques said through clenched teeth.

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

This just reopened the yelling, the threatening, and of course, the gun pointing. I watched helplessly as these completely hopeless idiots fought over a topic that was long forgotten by me. Lock- Nah stood silently in the corner, smiling that same half smile. I had a feeling this was his plan all along.

Though I didn't want to get involved in this conflict, I stepped in front of Spivey, resulting in a heated gun pointed at my temple. "Please!" I said, annoyed. "Let's discuss this calmly"- grabbing the gun from Red's hands- "and without any violence."

Red glanced towards Jacques, who glanced back with a nod, and shoved Spivey forward into the nearest seat. I knew I was going to loose them fast, so I decided to make our chat as brief as possible. And, of course, my partner in this whole mess was being absolutely no help.

"So, Lock- Nah here says you got a nice little job for us to do." Red smirked, obviously the arrogant, over confident man of the group. I smile as well, because I know I'll get these naive bastards to do whatever I need them to.

"All we need from you three is one thing. Make sure the Bracelet of Anubis gets in our hands before the O'Connell's beat us to it."

"How are you sure the O'Connell's are even going for the bracelet?" Lock- Nah said from his spot in the corner. It was the first time I've heard him speak all day.

I laugh inwardly. _How stupid did he think I was?_

"Evelyn told me all about her expected trip to Thebes," I say, as if it weren't a big deal. He just shrugs it off and remains silent.

"How much are you payin us then?" Spivey said with enthralled enthusiasm. I could see the glowing greed in Jacques and Red's eyes as well.

"Five thousand."

I was afraid to know what they'd do with all that money. But I knew the deal was set. Red threw out his famous "know it all" smile, while Jacques just nodded his head. Spivey remained silent in pure awe.

"Alright Mr. Curator, you got yourself a deal." Red finally said for the three of them.

We all sat with silence hanging around us, with really nothing else to say. I could see Spivey twiddling his thumbs in his lap. I was about to shoo them all out before Jacques leaned forward for one last question:

"Do we kill them all, sir?"

I think of Evelyn; her glowing smile whenever she talked about Egypt, how her kindness was the only thing keeping me alive inside for years, that never give up attitude. I think of the boy; young and spirited, gifted just like his mother.

"Kill them all."

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><p><strong>AN: **So, should this be the end to this breathtaking saga, or should I continue? Send a response in a review, please. That would make me a happy, happy mummywriter(: Much appriciation to the reviews already! And I am hoping that more will come...


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